inspiring: do you have a message for humanity? what would you say? [vid]

Retired lithographer Gordon McCann has made it his mission to give people a voice. He began in Vancouver’s infamous Downtown Eastside, with the intention of helping the homeless people there reach out to those who don’t hear them.

It went so well he decided to do as many neighbourhoods as he could.

I happened to be on my way to buy a pinwheel for my bike one day in Kitsilano when he asked if I’d like to contribute. Standing there in his knitted blue sweater and patched straw hat, microphone and videocamera in hand he asks, “Do you have a message for humanity?” Too shy, I said “No, thank you though,” and went to get my pinwheel. Then I remembered my first word for 2011: ‘yes’.

So I came back around, he said, “I knew you would” and there we were.

I forgot about it afterwards, until today, when I was walking home with a new pinwheel for my bike to replace the one I’d bought that day. And there he was, crossing the street before me. “Oh, hello,” he said, patting my arm and giving me his grin, “Did you see yourself?”

I’m at 4:11. But it’s the other people who I’m thrilled to have been packaged up with who’s messages are beautiful.

HERE’S SOME OF THEIR MESSAGES“If we all focused on acting out of love instead of fear and turning our fear around then maybe the world would be a better place” 1:02

“I’d like to see people get along” 1:32

“Come close to your true self and committed to love” 2:40

“Be nice to your fellow man. Be kind.” 3:16

“A little less TV and a little more outside” 3:22

“Be true to your heart, love is the answer and it’ll heal the world.” 3:30

Me: “In that moment there’s that unity, that shared sameness between each individual” 4:11

“Take that energy and redistribute it, back into your own heart at least instead of consuming.” 11:00

“The world is too dangerous for anything but truth, and too small for anything but love.” 12:53